Basket



July 11, 1933. Q R. EN 1,917,903

BASKET Filed April 2, 1931 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 I Ch -lea Ti. 50mm Patented July 1933,

warren stares CHARLES SARGFNT, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN BASKET Application filed April 2, 1931.

My invention relates generally to improvements in baskets and more particularly to an improved type of clothes basket, this type of clothes basket having folding legs there I previously obtained a patent, No. 1,550,8l6, on a basket, said application being filed August 25, 1925, and in the instant application it is my primary aim to lmprove on this specific type of basket which has folding legs.

Another object of my invention is to diminish the cost of manufacture of articles of this character and with these objects in view and for the attainment of others not necessary to now specify, but which will be appreciat- 7 ed to those skilled in this art, when my invention in its detailed aspects is understood, my said invention consists in the characteristics of construction, and arrangements as hereinafter specified and defined by or included with the wording of the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred form of my invention, the supporting legs being extended to their open position.

Fig. 2 is a view taken underneath of Fig. l and looking upwardly, this view being taken along the line of 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 1, parts being broken away in order to expedite the showing, and one set of legs being in extended position and the other set being folded against the underside of the body.

Fig. i is a detailed View of the rocking element passing through the end frame member, this view being taken along the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the guide plate and the slide link which engages therewith.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but disclosing a modified form of rocln'ng means for the end frame member.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of Fig. 6.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

Serial No. 527,282.

frame members 13 and 14 are pivotally connected to the frame members 12 as at 15 and 15,

respectively, and supporting means s 17 and 18, respectively, extend down- .dly from the end frame members 13 and as clearly shown in the drawings. I

Thus each set of legs may be folded against the undersideof the basket body, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 3 or else the legs may be extended to support the basket, as illustratec in Fig. .-1, and thus the basket may be placed in either a high position or else a low position. In other words the basket may be merely utilized in its ordinary fash ion, when the legs are folded underneath its 76 bottom, or else the basket may be used at a considerabledistance from thefloor. This latter position is extremely handy for many purposes.

-End member 13 has a rocking element or threaded stem 23 extending therethrough as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. Lock nuts 24 maintain this rocking element or lever 23 in an adjusted position. A similar rocking element e is engaged with the opposite end member 14- in identical fashion. Slide links 25, see Figs. 3 and 5, are pivoted to the upper ends of the members 23 and 34 and slidably engage the guide plates 26, these guide plates being rigidly attached to the oaposite ends of the basket 10. The upper en of the slide link 25 is turned outwardly as indicated at 27 to form a finger projection. and a lug 28 is stamped inwardly from the slide link 25, see Fig. 5, this lug 28-engaging against the upper edge of the guide plate 26 when the slide link is in its upper position.

Hence, by the mechanism just described, the link 25 may be pulled upwardly by engagement of ones finger underneath the projection 27 and the lug 28 will engage-or snap overthe top of the guide plate 26 thereby holding slide link in itsupper position. In this position the slide link maintains the le 17, see Fig. 3, in an extended position.

Springs 30 are fastened to the other end of the rocking elements 23 and 3a and extend to the underside of the basket, these springs being in tension. Thus the tendency of these springs is to hold the legs upwardly against the underside of the basket whereby they do not interfere with the ordinary use of the basket.

The left-hand portion of Fig. 3 illustrates the leg in an extended position and they may be released from such a position by pushing outwardly upon the top part of the link 25, thus disengaging the lug 28 and allowing the spring 30 to become effective. The spring 30 pulls against the end frame member 13 and causes it to rotate about its pivot 15 until the legs 17 are in alinement with the bottom of the basket.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, numeral 53 represents the end frame member correspond ing to the members 13 and 14: in the preferred modification. A slotted mei'nber 54 is adj ust ably held against the end frame member 53 by mea s of the bolt 55 and by loosening this bolt the slotted member may be shifted longitudinally thus'allowiug for proper adjustment of the slide links Thus, in both the preferred form and the modification which I disclose, it is possible to adjust the links 25 so that their projections will prop erly engage the side plates 26.

From the above description it will be appreciated that I have inventively created an improved supporting device for clothes basket which will not only operate for a. long period of time but which is also capable of being adjusted to properly function at all times, and furthermore the device is relative ly simple in construction whereby it may be economically manufactured.

Having thus revealed this invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equiv alents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States.

I claim:

1. In combination with a basket having foldable legs thereunder, curved longitudinally mounted slides mounted upon the ends of the basket, means connecting the legs and the slides whereby movement of the slides upwardly causes the legs to move to an extensible position, spring means for retracting the legs, and means on the basket adapted to be engaged by theslides, said slides being sprung inwardly at their upper ends whereby they automatically engage the means on the basket.

2. A supporting structure for a clothes basket comprising an end frame member, legs extending from and rigid with said end frame member, hinge means for fastening the frame member to the basket whereby the frame and its legs may be swung to and from an extended position, a guide plate rigid with the basket, a slide link mounted in said guide plate, a threaded element extending through said and frame member, said slide link being connected to the said threaded element to move the end frame member and spring means connected to the other end of said threaded element to return the end frame member to closed pasition.

A support for clothes baskets having handles at either end thereof comprising leg structures positioned at either end of the basket. means for pivoting the leg structures to the basket whereby they may swing upwardly against the bottom of the basket or else xtend therefrom to provide supporting means therefor, spring means for maintaining the leg structures against the bottom of the basket, guide plates fastened to the ends of the basket, slide links mounted in said guide plates, rocking elements connected to the lower ends of the slide links and to theleg structures whereby movement of the links causes actuation of the leg structures, finger engaging means extending from the slide links adjacent their upper ends, said upper ends being closely adjacent the handles, said slide links having projections stamped therefrom, said projections being adapted to engage the guide plates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES R. SARGENT. 

